Wiley

Ill be there, usually basics have a meet up on a saturday

theres a very good chance john, but that one loft would be the top loft, in my own opinion.

I can see a few things that may be of interest from these answers, but most importantly is the type of racing, with the maximum being only 330 miles, to me this would be classed as an out and out sprint programme. So id advice Buster, to specialise in birds that are bred to compete at these distances. Knowing the midlands also there are many aces of the widowhood system there, much like london and essex, and those still racing natural 99% of the time get left behind until the distances go over 400 miles. How does buster race his young birds natural or darkness? The loft may be a problem also, id advise to buy a simple humidity monitor, and place some salt in a pot overnight, somewhere where the birds cannot get to it... and if the salt doesnt come out of the pot the same way/consistency then their is a humidity issue, which i suspect. would it be possible to put up some photos of the loft?

I trust my dog with my life, she somehow knows what birds should be in my yard and what shouldnt, she picks out a stray before we do and she guides them away from the flock like a shepard. Whether it has something to do with the scent i do not know but its anazing how she can tell the difference, as she doesnt even look twice at our own young birds just weaned so i know it isnt sight based

Montage of my three Thurso hens, winners of The Joe Mahoney Trophey for Best 3 Bird Average in The London North Road Combine Thurso 510 Miles, winning 1st, 11th and 27th Open.

Only on race day dal, as both sheds are open as both sexes are racing, but id say 99.9% they always choose their hen loft to trap into

My hens dont trap back to the cocks shed as its 13ft away, the only time they can go in cocks shed is on race day, but generally they choose their own loft where they trap all week, but whatever people want to call it, it works and thats all that matters

The hens are paired in the widowhood cock section prior to the season...but each and everyday they are trapped to their own loft and on a race day they have a choice of either their own loft or the widowhood cocks loft to trap to but generally they choose their own loft. i always have 3-4 dropper hens dal, and usually one or two cocks at home when racing, ive found over the years it doesnt matter what is shown to the first arrivals aslong as something is shown, untill their partner arrives. When i say fed in troughs, i just want to clarify my birds are not hopper fed(food infront of them at all times) but are fed strictly to what i feel they need

Dal, some would call my system roundabout, but personally i call it Total Widowhood, as my hens are kept probably 13ft away from my cocks, while id only consider it to be known as roundabout if they are racing to the next compartment. My hens will beat my cocks on the sprints regular, to be honest it is always a guess on what will come first as they both are competive as each other and both sexes could win on the day. All my pigeons are fed in the troughs as i like the pigeons to be competitive for food also and not to pick their favourite grains. My hen perches are not like boxes, but more like yb slope back perches but these slope forward, with a dowel door on which i go in and close when all the hens are perched after their feed.

To be honest, all my hens are treated exactly the same as my widowhood cocks, as both partners go to the races, only difference is the hens are expected to race the whole programme from 72miles to 510 miles. And another difference would be is that the hens are locked in their perches after flying and having their feed. Wish i could say there was any other difference but as George Baird will know there is not.

Happy birthday ian

Well done

Cheers We Man, there was only 4 birds home also on the day of liberation.

Cheers guys

Just been informed by good friend Paul Cotton my London North Road Combine winning hen from Thurso 510 Miles, After Eight, has made the front cover of the BHW. Well happy and i think its been many years since a LNRC winning pigeon has appeared on the cover.

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3. Black X Recessive Red or Recessive yellow = Depends on what color is masked by red or yellow. No reds or yellows unless cock carries it. 14. Recessive Red or Recessive Yellow X Black = same as above.

Owen elliott on site says he does, in my experience 10 miles is not enough especially in a strong sprint competition area

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Its a very good post peter....so from it we can understand that you regard the feed of 500-600 mile pigeons of no importance, as its the motivation is the key...would i be correct in stating this? But lets look at it another way, if the fancier feeds 100% beans, this is a high in protein diet, now all this protein cannot be used so a high percentage of it will get converted to fatty acids and stored as FATS. Another fancier fed 80% peanuts, which are high percentage fats and fairly high percentage protein, so if the protein isnt needed to repair muscle damage the proteins will again be converted to fatty acids and stored as FATS. Another fed 80% maize now thats a high carb grain, and we know when there is an excess of carbs it again turns into FATS. Lastly 100% gerry plus, high fat high carb mixture......to me the link between all these as you said TOP distance men is their use of FATS. So i dont think feeding in my opinion could be disregarded....and i for one am not saying motivation is the 100% reason, as without the fuel in the tank no matter how much guts or determination they have without the fuel they wont make it home on the NIGHT. As i said previously the right feed and the right motivation go hand in hand.

Please tell me what i stated about wind Peter? And maybe you missed George bairds post about following my system to the tee and timing yearlings from 475 miles on the day?

A brilliant statement dal and my feelings also

Peter maybe ive read the original question wrong, but to me in simple terms eastcoasters ambition is to win the gold cup sect/national.... And asked distance men what the perfect feed was to get them on the night from 500/600 miles. Whatever way you look at it i have to get birds flying theough you terrain, and you have to get them through mine....500/600 miles is 500/600 miles what ever way you decide to look at it

Ally the 11th and 27th open from Thurso 510 miles this year was, 11th open being from a son of olympiad when paired to a grandaughter of olympiad, an the 27th open was from number 1 pair grandson of filmstar paired to willy thas hen

Peter, i have won two London North Road Combines, one from Thurso 510 Miles, and one from Lerwick 599 miles and both were on the day, in two different winds and both with my fancied pigeon. From Thurso i was 1st open, when only 4 birds were timed on the day winning the race by 48 minutes, in a head wind. And from Lerwick i was 1st Open in a tail wind. I must also add in this Thurso race i was also 11th and 27th open, winning the Joe Mahoney trophy for the best 3 bird average in the LNRC but those two were timed early next morning. Both Combine winning pigeon was not bred for the job, as they was both produced by out and out sprint pigeons, and both pigeons had performed at sprint racing previously. But to add my penny worth i feel it was the feed and motivation to achieve these performances. But there was certainly no beans or tares, infact my feed was very light towards marking with about 90% diat mix. But they did have a 14 day prep, where the percentage of protein at the beginning of this prep was very heavy.